Study on the impact of caregivers in an Italian high specialization hospital: presence, costs and nurse's perception.

The study analysed two key questions: (i) the prevalence of informal caregiving in medical and surgical wards of a high specialization hospital; (ii) the reasonable cost for the structure that would have to pay to replace informal caregiving? The study was conducted in June 2006 as a prevalence survey, using a questionnaire administered to informal caregivers and nurses working in medical and surgical wards of a high specialization hospital by ad hoc trained personnel. Questionnaire consisted in three sections: the first focused on patient's characteristics, the second on caregivers and the third on nurses' perception on caregiving phenomenon. One hundred and twenty-four eligible caregivers were identified.